Dear Bride: There are so many things to remember on your wedding day!

Your wedding day is going to be full of so many beautiful and funny and emotional moments. It will be such a huge milestone and perhaps, at times, a little overwhelming because there is so many things to remember on the morning of your wedding day. But it’s okay. I’m here to help!

Having been in the wedding industry for many years, I’ve noticed that there are often some vital things that brides tend to forget or overlook the morning of their wedding day that can have a huge impact on their photographs. It’s okay, though—you’re new to this and these are things you’d never think about because you haven’t been married yet.

Again, I’m here to help!

The following five things are what I’ve learned that brides usually forget on their wedding day, so I encourage you to print this list, have it handy on the big day, and keep these things in mind as you begin finalizing details closer to the day you become a Mrs.

5 Things to Remember on Your Wedding Day

1. Have your bouquet delivered to you instead of the ceremony or reception location. This way, your photographer can include it in the detail shots (which are always a beautiful complement to portraits and candids in wedding albums and wall collages).
2. Don’t give your Best Man the rings, yet. Again, if you have the rings with you when your photographer arrives, they can include the rings in the detail shots before you hand them off to the Best Man before the ceremony. Plus, if you’re doing a First Look wedding, you’ll need the rings for photos!
3. Have your bridesmaids ready and in their dresses before you. That way, when it comes time to get you into your dress, with their help, they will already be good to go and you won’t have to wait for them to all rush into their dresses to assist you.
4. De-clutter the getting ready space. When the bride is stepping into her dress with the help of her bridesmaids and mom, a cluttered room takes the focus away from the bride. A clean room leaves the focus exactly where it should be, on you!
5. Schedule time to breathe and take it all in. A neat trick I’ve learned over the years is that if the bride has her hair done first, before everyone else, it gives her time to just sit and relax, have some good laughs with her girls and then have a snack before she gets her makeup done and gets into her dress. This is a good way to find time to breathe it in because you won’t be rushing to get hair done, then makeup done, then dress on, then out the door. Ya know!

Aside from these things to remember on your wedding day, also remember that this day is about you and your love—your love story, your time together, your celebration. Soak up every moment and cherish the smallest giggles and the biggest tears because it goes by so fast and, before you can blink, the day will be done.

More from our Dear Bride Series:

Dear Bride I: Don’t Forget Self-Care!

Dear Bride II: Remember Your Why!

Dear Bride III: You’ve Got This!

Dear Bride IV: The Bridal Plan

Dear Bride V: The Wedding Planning Process